Powering Oklahoma Innovators Since 1987

Explore the companies and innovators who, alongside OCAST, are leading the charge in Oklahoma’s innovation economy.

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The Cutting Edge in the Middle of America

Imagine a software for creating custom-fitting prosthetics, a plant-based alternative to petroleum-based plastics, and the lightest, high-pressure composite tank available for aerospace. If you had to name one region where all these ideas came to fruition, what region would you guess? Silicon Valley? The East Coast?

The OCAST Impact

In collaboration with Oklahoma's best and brightest, OCAST programs made a significant impact in 2021.

For over 30 years, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST) has supported the growing number of companies and individuals who are choosing Oklahoma as their base of operations for scientific innovation.

19
companies formed
2,016
jobs created
129
patents granted
over $1M
financial impact

Want to know more about the OCAST impact?

Read the Impact Report

Oklahoma has long built and expanded a diverse network of innovators in technology and science. Now, our state is focusing on developing specific areas like bioscience, aerospace & defense, and energy diversification.

Bioscience

Oklahoma’s central location, agricultural history, and community of health scientists has placed our state at the forefront of bioscience progress across several different disciplines, like nutrition science, cancer biology, and agricultural productivity. The foundation for Oklahoma’s growth in bioscience lies in an expanding and extensive network of universities, healthcare facilities, and private research institutes, like The Noble Institute, which is the largest private research institute in the nation.

Oklahoma’s rapidly-growing bioscience industry looks like:

500+
businesses and organizations
$6.7B
economic impact
700,000
sq. ft. of research labs and office space
180,000+
employed in the bioscience industry

Aerospace & Defense

When it comes to aerospace and aviation research and development, Oklahoma is no stranger. But in the most recent decade, aerospace innovators in our state have generated impactful partnerships with some of the world’s leading aerospace organizations, like NASA and SpaceX, and have become leaders in the field of unmanned systems. Even amidst the outbreak of a pandemic in 2020, Oklahoma aerospace continued to grow.

In 2020, the announcement of nine new aerospace companies generated:

1,177
new jobs
$576M
capital investment (expected)
$36M
Department of Defense contract opportunities

Energy Diversification

As global energy consumption continues to grow, along with related environmental concerns, Oklahoma has increased its focus on alternative energy solutions, and ways to improve the efficiency and environmental-friendliness of existing energy sources. Now, Oklahoma is making great strides in bioenergy, battery storage, geothermal energy, solar energy, wind energy, and hydrogen.

Oklahoma is nationally recognized as:

#3
in installed wind capacity
#4
in wind jobs
#6
in solar energy potential
2nd
largest wind farm in the US

OCAST’s Innovation Ecosystem

OCAST facilitates collaboration between state government, universities, start-up companies and large-scale firms to support technology-based economic development.

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Our strategic partnerships include:

i2E logoOklahoma Manufacturing Alliance logoOK Catalyst logoOSU logo

i2E has provided business expertise and funding to more than 730 of Oklahoma's emerging small businesses, with nearly $84 million of investment capital under management

The Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance is a network of trusted experts working with manufacturers to help them grow and evolve. They serve as the primary resource, advocate and voice for manufacturing in Oklahoma

OK Catalyst offers technical assistance to improve proposals as well as guidance in accessing additional OCAST support and other resources appropriate to their respective stage of development

Through NPDC, OCAST offers the Inventor's Assistance Service which provides guidance and resources to Oklahoma's inventors, such as patent searches, market analyses, manufacturing referrals, engineering analysis, prototyping and drawing/model design.

OCAST strengthens and builds Oklahoma’s growing innovation economy primarily through research support and intern partnerships.

Project Support

We provide funding for research and development in the core tech sectors which include bioscience, aerospace & defense, and energy diversification

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Intern Partnerships

We fund internships for undergraduate and graduate students to work with a high-tech Oklahoma company, enabling them to undertake and complete an innovative project which benefits both the student and company. 98% of companies say they will hire their OCAST intern for a permanent position.

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Are You an Oklahoma Innovator?

If you believe you are an OK Innovator, or you’re just interested in connecting with OCAST to learn more about our work, drop us a line!

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